Conti, BFNAT Announce Price Increases
Continental Tire North America and Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire have both announced price increases. CTNA said it is increasing prices on all Continental, General, Semperit and private brand medium truck tires by up to 5 percent, effective Aug. 1.
BFNAT Pitches in For First Hybridfest
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) will be a premier sponsor and the sole tire supplier for the inaugural Hybridfest, a national event dedicated to hybrid-electric vehicles. More than 100 hybrids – many fitted with Bridgestone Ecopia tires – will be on display, including all 11 hybrid models currently on the market, and one-of-a-kind vehicles like the General Motors EV1.
BFNAT Decides to Shut Down Oklahoma City Plant
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire has decided that it will close its Oklahoma City, OK, passenger and light truck/SUV tire plant. The plant, which opened in 1969, employs some 1,400 workers. The plant will be closed by Dec. 31, according to BFNAT.
Car Buzz Shifts to South: A GM-Nissan Alliance Would Spark Nashville
A Tale of Two Cities is emerging in the U.S. automotive industry. Detroit, once the proud capital, has been struggling to maintain leadership, bleeding jobs, investment and power to the South, where foreign rivals have been setting up shop for more than two decades. At the center of this shift, an exuberant, welcoming Nashville is turning over dirt throughout its hillsides, readying to build itself as the heart of what some call the new domestic auto industry: One that is foreign-owned and thrives, without the challenge of unions, retirees or decaying brand names.
Bridgestone Cuts Forecast, Plans For Plant Closure
Bridgestone Corp. has adjusted its full-year 2006 forecast downward, citing massive raw material cost increases. The tiremaker said its annual profit may decline as much as 64 percent from 2005 results.
BFNAT Launches Drift Web Site
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) has launched a new Web area on its Web site devoted to drifting. The drifting section is located at www.bridgestonetire.com/drifting.
Job Security Crucial in Goodyear Talks: Steelworkers, Company Preparing to Negotiate
Early next month, when Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. executives and the United Steelworkers of America exchange contract proposals, job security looks to be a major issue. But defining job security depends on the perspective of the company and the union. The current three-year contract between Goodyear and its estimated 13,000 Steelworkers employees — out of about 80,000 Goodyear employees globally — was signed during some of the Akron tire maker’s darkest days. The contract expires July 22.
Job Security Crucial in Goodyear Talks: Steelworkers, Company Preparing to Negotiate
Early next month, when Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. executives and the United Steelworkers of America exchange contract proposals, job security looks to be a major issue. But defining job security depends on the perspective of the company and the union. The current three-year contract between Goodyear and its estimated 13,000 Steelworkers employees — out of about 80,000 Goodyear employees globally — was signed during some of the Akron tire maker’s darkest days. The contract expires July 22.
BFNAT Plans to Close Oklahoma City Plant
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) plans to close its single largest tire plant by the end of this year. BFNAT has issued a required Notice of Potential Plant Closure with the United Steelworkers (USW) regarding its Oklahoma City, OK, plant, and said that “global market forces have made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to restore the plant to a competitive position, even with significant new capital investment.”
One in Five Drivers Do Not Properly Check Tire Pressure, Says RMA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that about one in every three cars has a significantly under inflated tire and that 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries occur every year as a result of low tire pressure-related crashes. AAA reports that each year they receive about 4 million roadside assistance calls due to tire-related incidents. Not surprisingly, a 2006 Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) survey found that more than 80 percent of drivers do not know how to properly check their tire pressure.